Annapolis obgyn & BWMC
Vickytoria1803
member
Hi. I'm a FTM here and fairly new to the doctors here in MD. I went to to Annapolis obgyn twice, last year for my yearly exam & for blood work to confirm this pregnancy and now that I'm 7 weeks I have an appointment with them for my first prenatal next Monday. So far, all I have read are very mixed (more on the side of bad) reviews about them. The 2 experience I had were just o.k. The phone service sucks and I'm skeptical about them because when I told them I was pregnant and asked about vitamins, the nurse just said to keep taking mutli-vitamins.
Anyone have any good things to say about them? I'm even open to hear more bad things about them too.
Also, does anyone have any experience at Baltimore Washington Medical Center? I live in Severn and that would be the closet hospital to deliver at. Thanks
Re: Annapolis obgyn & BWMC
I would go with AAMC.....
I know a couple people who have used annapolis OBGYN, biggest complaint seems to be that they are semi-impersonal. My friend also feels they pushed her into getting a c-section and I think she switched to a new practice after that.
Sorry no recs on the OB
I would definitely go with AAMC. I don't know any one personally who has delivered at BWMC, but haven't heard anything good.
My two BFF's going to Annapolis OBGYN and they love it. I go to Chesapeake women's care and love all but one Dr. there. I've also heard good recs for Special Beginnings if you'd be interesting in going the midwife route.
Good Luck.
I don't know much about BWMC, but another vote for AAMC!! Both my boys were delievered there... one last month... and due to post partum preeclampsyia, I was hospitalized for another week on the L&D floor. I cannot say enough good things about the nurse staff I had - they were simply awesome and were so friendly and talked to me like a friend, not a patient. Nurses I had would even stop in and see how I was doing even if they weren't assigned to my room the next shift.
I also second Chesapeake Women's Care - been going to them for 8 years. They were also very good about treating me with the post partum complications and made sure that I had all the necessary tests, etc. I was very happy under their care.
I delivered out of BWMC when they first opened the Maternity Wing!
I thought it was great, especially since it was only 5 miles from home!
My OBGYN has offices in Severn (Arundel Mills Blvd) and right at BWMC in the Aiello Center. Highly recommend her, Ella Gayoso-Adams.
I had my 1st baby (my DD) w/ Annapolis OB/GYN @ AAMC. My prenatal care there was OK, I really liked 2 of the docs and one of them was one that I really liked. The issue is that you have so many docs who deliver and you need to see them all before you deliver and you have very little chance to build any sort of rapport with any of them before you are actually trying to push a baby out.
I felt like they pressured me to induce- my first appt after my BFP they told me my EDD was 1 week 4 days before I thought it was (based on my LMP vs. their ultrasound.) When I told them that, they said not to worry, that they would let my go to 42 weeks before inducing. They lied, they "offered" me inducement dates of 41 weeks, 41 wk 1 day and 41 wk 4 days. I took that latest date they offered and my DD was born after 23 hours of induced labor w/ the help of vacuum suction. My L&D experience was a total sh!tshow. I didn't get to hold my daughter for an hour while they were stitching me up and a NICU team was checking her out, etc. I now know that I was lucky that I was able to deliver her vaginally, as 65% of the time inductions end up as C/S for first time moms. I really think the only reason the doctor let me go as long as he did is because I had seen him like 4 times over the course of my pregnancy- told him at each of those visits that I did not want a C/S and I generally kissed his ass.
For my second pregnancy I switched to Bay Area Midwifery and I delivered my son in their birth center which is on the ground of AAMC.
As far as the drive distance, while it's annoying, if you are a first time mom, it is highly unlikely you will be making a mad dash to the hospital while in labor. The fact that BWMC has 4 labor and delivery suites and 2 dedicated C/S ORs makes giant clanging bells go off in my head. First time moms can be in labor a LONG time, but if you only have 4 L&D suites but you have 2 ORs (and you can have a mom in and out of an OR in like 2 hrs) - then you are really inviting a very high c-section rate.
So we graduated from shady grove fertility also and I think we may have gotten spoiled there. Their care is AMAZING! Hi my sgf friend that posted above! Congrats!!!
After all kinds of searching we settled on Annapolis OB mainly due to the fact we want to deliver at AAMC. Secondly, our insurance narrowed the field down quite a bit just by which practices delivering at AAMC, took Aetna AND did their bloodworm through Quest Diagnostics.
I've been to 2 appointments, both just standard checkups and the care is at best OK. I felt rushed and belittled a little for some of the basic questions I asked. I am a FTM so this is all new to me. I would really prefer a practice that shows a little more compassion and concern rather than just another number in the line.
I don't like the fact they have so many OB's and rotate you through them all. By the time you see everyone one time it is pretty much time to deliver so getting to know the staff and building a professional and trusting relationship seems almost impossible to me. I realize they rotate you so you have a chance to meet everyone before delivery, but you might as well have a random Dr deliver because you don't really know any of them anyway!
I'm now searching for a midwifery hat has delivery rights at AAMC and can meet our insurance requirements. Fingers crossed!
I will add that considering its a personal preference I want a more personalized and friendly practice, I feel the quality of the MEDICAL care at Annapolis OB is just as good as I will find anywhere else.
As far as the hospital for delivery we chose to go to AAMC because they have the best NICU in the county. We live in glen Burnie so it is about 20 minutes from home, but worth the peace of mind IMO. I've heard some scary stories about BWMC and women needing emergency surgeries after delivery and them not being as equipped or prepared to handle that type of event as AAMC. Again, just a personal preference to be better safe than sorry.
ETA: the rest of my post! I hit post too soon
Multivitamins are pretty similar to prenatal ones so tat ay be why they said that. I started off w Annapolis ob/gyn and switched care at 24 weeks to special beginnings. The midwives there also have hospital privileges at AAMC so you can deliver in a hospital if necessary. (Annapolis ob gyn are their backup obs). If you want a more personal care approach I highly recommend going with them.
i was not impressed w my care at Annapolis ob gyn and I know another mom on this board who received very bad breastfeeding (to the point of insulting) advice from them. One of the drs was also very demeaning to me as a FTM.
We have Aetna and I go to Bay Area Midwifery and have had no insurance issues. They deliver in their birth center as well as at AAMC. I forget where I went for bloodwork- I did have to go see a specialist during my pregnancy w/ DS for a higher level ultrasound because the initial anatomy scan I had done wasn't fully conclusive and then I got an irregular heartbeat and the specialist worked fine w/ the midwives, etc.